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Best Natural history museums in France
Top Rated Natural history museums
Top Reviewed Natural history museums
Museum of Natural History of Tours
National Museum of Natural History
Natural History Museum
National Museum of Natural History
Gallery of Evolution
Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology
Museum of Natural History of Tours
Musée des Confluences
Reviews
Some interesting exhibits. For me, the permanent exhibits were more interesting than the temporary ones (forrest, love, geology, epidemics) although all were well presented. I liked that they had iyems that were specifically marked as able to be touched, for example a meteorite they think came from a star. There are two ticket machines in the foyer (on the left, not well signposted). You have to exit to the south past the giftshop, even though the public transport is to the north.
Midden in heb centrum/wandelgebied in Tours staat dit kleine museum. Gelegen aan een smalle straat, tussen de oude huizen. Je loopt het museum ongemerkt voorbij. Het is vooral een kijk en lees museum.
Er zijn twee exposities, de vaste en de kort lopende tentoonstelling.
De vaste opstelling:
Deze begint op verdieping 2. Te bereiken via de trap of lift. Dit is een zaal vol opgezette dieren. De grootste groep heeft een vacht, daarna komen de veren dragers. Een enkele reptiel maakt de verzameling af. Daarnaast kan je enkele insecten bewonderen. Een stenenverzameling maakt de collectie compleet. Bij mekaar is het niet groot. De herkenbaarheid van de dieren maakt het wel leuk om te zien.
Een trap omhoog is de bibliotheek, en ook daar zitten enkele opgezette dieren verstopt. Een vergroting van een termietheuvel is het bekijken waard.
Met uitzondering van de mieren zijn alle dieren hier morsdood. Ik ga ervan uit dat deze mieren in het terrarium goed verzorgd worden. En dus heb ik mijn kijk op de mierenwereld iets moeten bijstellen.
De tijdelijke opstelling had de dierenwereld op de polen op het oog. Door middel van prachtige foto's waren vogels, pinguïns en orca's te bewonderen.
De eerste verdieping was niet toegankelijk, en dus was de gehele collectie niet te bewonderen. De entreeprijs is daarom naar beneden gebracht naar 3 euro's.
Het museum:
Gelegen in een bestaand pand. Bij de ingang zijn kluisjes beschikbaar. Er is een wc aanwezig. Dit museum heeft geen horeca, direkt om de hoek heten diverse drinkgelegenheden u welkom.
Taal: Frans.
Parkeren:
Even verder op kunt u gebruik maken van een garage. Wij hebben gratis gestaan aan de rand van de rivier, parking Napoleon. Dat had een praktische kant, de overdekte parkeergarage is maar 1.80 hoog. En dat ging onze dakkoffer niet redden. Een keer zo'n levenservaring is ruim voldoende.
Het is een leuk museum. Simpel van opzet. Dit museum kan je meenemen als je Tours gaat bezoeken.
Er zijn twee exposities, de vaste en de kort lopende tentoonstelling.
De vaste opstelling:
Deze begint op verdieping 2. Te bereiken via de trap of lift. Dit is een zaal vol opgezette dieren. De grootste groep heeft een vacht, daarna komen de veren dragers. Een enkele reptiel maakt de verzameling af. Daarnaast kan je enkele insecten bewonderen. Een stenenverzameling maakt de collectie compleet. Bij mekaar is het niet groot. De herkenbaarheid van de dieren maakt het wel leuk om te zien.
Een trap omhoog is de bibliotheek, en ook daar zitten enkele opgezette dieren verstopt. Een vergroting van een termietheuvel is het bekijken waard.
Met uitzondering van de mieren zijn alle dieren hier morsdood. Ik ga ervan uit dat deze mieren in het terrarium goed verzorgd worden. En dus heb ik mijn kijk op de mierenwereld iets moeten bijstellen.
De tijdelijke opstelling had de dierenwereld op de polen op het oog. Door middel van prachtige foto's waren vogels, pinguïns en orca's te bewonderen.
De eerste verdieping was niet toegankelijk, en dus was de gehele collectie niet te bewonderen. De entreeprijs is daarom naar beneden gebracht naar 3 euro's.
Het museum:
Gelegen in een bestaand pand. Bij de ingang zijn kluisjes beschikbaar. Er is een wc aanwezig. Dit museum heeft geen horeca, direkt om de hoek heten diverse drinkgelegenheden u welkom.
Taal: Frans.
Parkeren:
Even verder op kunt u gebruik maken van een garage. Wij hebben gratis gestaan aan de rand van de rivier, parking Napoleon. Dat had een praktische kant, de overdekte parkeergarage is maar 1.80 hoog. En dat ging onze dakkoffer niet redden. Een keer zo'n levenservaring is ruim voldoende.
Het is een leuk museum. Simpel van opzet. Dit museum kan je meenemen als je Tours gaat bezoeken.
Amazing museum!
Provides with a lot of information revolving around evolution and the natural world! They display the organisms wonderfully and everything is organised in sections on each floor. The light displays from the roof is amazing and the building is easy to navigate if you use the free maps they offer.
The staff were overall nice and I can't give much negativity to this museum due to the fact how perfect everything was. I definitely suggest going!
Provides with a lot of information revolving around evolution and the natural world! They display the organisms wonderfully and everything is organised in sections on each floor. The light displays from the roof is amazing and the building is easy to navigate if you use the free maps they offer.
The staff were overall nice and I can't give much negativity to this museum due to the fact how perfect everything was. I definitely suggest going!
Wir finden das Museum für Kinder sehr schön. Viele der Ausstellungsvitrinen sind kinderfreundlich auf dem Boden und nicht höher als einen Meter.
Wir hatten uns aber mehr vorgestellt und waren als Erwachsene sehr enttäuscht. Uns hat es gestört, dass nur ein Teil der Tiere wirklich echt präpariert ist. Die Plastikimitate wirkten auf uns primitiv und nicht sehr realistisch. Sehr schade fanden wir auch, dass die Schilder durchweg französisch sind und kein englisch.
Wir hatten uns aber mehr vorgestellt und waren als Erwachsene sehr enttäuscht. Uns hat es gestört, dass nur ein Teil der Tiere wirklich echt präpariert ist. Die Plastikimitate wirkten auf uns primitiv und nicht sehr realistisch. Sehr schade fanden wir auch, dass die Schilder durchweg französisch sind und kein englisch.
A great visit, set amongst so beautiful gardens.
If your in Paris for 3+ days then I would add this to your list.
Nice to break up our trip to Paris with some history.
If your in Paris for 3+ days then I would add this to your list.
Nice to break up our trip to Paris with some history.
I recommend for tourist / visitors. The museum is really interesting with different focus on science, human history, biology.. I would suggest to visit it in two steps
The Felines Exhibit was detailed with some of the best taxidermy I’ve seen in my life. We were able to witness a live theatrical performance that moved me literally to tears. The museum focuses heavily on how humans are negatively impacting our planet. There are tons of interactive exhibits to keep the little ones entertained. They even have virtual reality!
It was the Crowded museum in the museum's island. Good circulation below the colourful transparent roof that is shifting lights colour time to time. Shop was too small and poor in choices. Despite the diversity of the museum. It can be improved in this respect.
We had a great time visiting this museum, there were lots of figures of animals up for display with some information, although it could've been more, such as the dates, quantity, etc.
I've been to this park before and fell in love with the trees and flowers there, but this was my first time in this museum (they have another museum on the other side of the park). I'm fascinated by butterflies and seashells and marine life. Sometimes the lights change color to resemble night time so it's a bit dark and hard to see, but this is a very beautiful museum.
Let's be honest - it's a great museum, but, museums exist to communicate and when the museum only has French explanations for 99.99% of the collection it fails to do this.
Only 3.6% of the world speaks French, so for foreign visitors it is highly unlikely that they will be able process the provided information. At a minimum there should be English notes provided as this would cover many of the international visitors. There's no audio guide, no free WiFi, and inside it's ridiculously dark....so much so that even if you could read French you'd need to flash light to read the plaques.
It had the potential to be great, but ultimately the visit was basically pointless. Unless you speak French I strongly recommend you give it a miss. :-(
Only 3.6% of the world speaks French, so for foreign visitors it is highly unlikely that they will be able process the provided information. At a minimum there should be English notes provided as this would cover many of the international visitors. There's no audio guide, no free WiFi, and inside it's ridiculously dark....so much so that even if you could read French you'd need to flash light to read the plaques.
It had the potential to be great, but ultimately the visit was basically pointless. Unless you speak French I strongly recommend you give it a miss. :-(
I was more interested in looking at the building from the outside than the inside. At 9€ entry, I won’t complain.
They have a super small cafe, but no seats, which was a drag after walking over an hour to get there. (Just wanted to sit for a bit before exploring the building, so could not be bogged down by tired feet. But my fault, so not a big deal)
The exhibits had lots of things going on and had layouts that were a bit confusing when I wanted to leave.
None of the exhibits really wowed me, nor had very interactive pieces. Which is just a personal preference.
A lot of items only had French text, so lots to kind of just skip over. I spent maybe an hour there, but was bored by 20 minutes in.
I thought given the massive/intricate outside that the exhibits would be larger, but I always felt a bit cramped.
They have a super small cafe, but no seats, which was a drag after walking over an hour to get there. (Just wanted to sit for a bit before exploring the building, so could not be bogged down by tired feet. But my fault, so not a big deal)
The exhibits had lots of things going on and had layouts that were a bit confusing when I wanted to leave.
None of the exhibits really wowed me, nor had very interactive pieces. Which is just a personal preference.
A lot of items only had French text, so lots to kind of just skip over. I spent maybe an hour there, but was bored by 20 minutes in.
I thought given the massive/intricate outside that the exhibits would be larger, but I always felt a bit cramped.
We came there as a Group and loved our experience, great to learn things about animals in a tremendous setting in this marvelously designed buidling, one of the oldests' museums (1889) in Europe .
Evolution indeed...
Great place for kids and grownups.
Make reservation because you risk to remain outside...we wanted to see also the "Lost world" in VR but it was fully booked so...
Overall a great experience
Great place for kids and grownups.
Make reservation because you risk to remain outside...we wanted to see also the "Lost world" in VR but it was fully booked so...
Overall a great experience
Its a free musesum! If you are interested in the species of the world like animals, reptiles and bugs and suchs its worth a visit. Reading natural history encyclopedias were some of the factors that got me into science and engineering when i was a kid. All the kids in the area must experience this kind of museum one in their lifetime.
Das Gebäude, der Evolution war wirklich sehr schön. Selbst passtende Geräuschkullissen, gibt es. Man könnte sich da drin sogar kleine Snacks kaufen. Auch sind alle Stockwerke, mit einem Rollstuhl oder einem Kinderwagen erreichbar. Da es ein paar Aufzüge gibt.
Auch waren alle Bereiche, des Gebäudes, sehr interessant. Sehr empfehlenswert, sowohl bei schlechtem, als auch bei schönem Wetter. Da es auch noch eine Menagerie und einen kleinen 'Park' gibt, bei dem man Figuren der verschiedenen Tierarten gibt. 😁
Auch waren alle Bereiche, des Gebäudes, sehr interessant. Sehr empfehlenswert, sowohl bei schlechtem, als auch bei schönem Wetter. Da es auch noch eine Menagerie und einen kleinen 'Park' gibt, bei dem man Figuren der verschiedenen Tierarten gibt. 😁
Ok museum with educational themes. As a tourist, I found some sections/articles without English translation which was a bit disappointing. The employees speak English very well and are very kind and helpful. Yet, there are a lot of kids at the museum which kinda make the atmosphere very noisy at points. Some galleries like the African section could have been more attractive. Some galleries also have a very long waiting queue. Try to get yourself to the fifth floor because you get a gorgeous view of the city. It’s a must-see, especially at sunset. Overall, I give this museum a 6.5/10.
Very rich experience.
You can spend an entire journey moving from one subject to another.
Decent and proper toilets.
On the GF level you find a small snack and a big restaurant on the outside near the water.
Great view from the highest level.
You can spend an entire journey moving from one subject to another.
Decent and proper toilets.
On the GF level you find a small snack and a big restaurant on the outside near the water.
Great view from the highest level.
This is one of the most fascinating natural history museums that I’ve ever been to. The exhibits are incredibly detailed.
The fossils and skeletons of the dinosaurs and animals were the stars of this amazing museum.
The interior and exterior of the museum are also gorgeous.
I visited during a weekday when crowds were minimal.
If you love natural history museums, definitely add this to your to-visit list in Paris.
The fossils and skeletons of the dinosaurs and animals were the stars of this amazing museum.
The interior and exterior of the museum are also gorgeous.
I visited during a weekday when crowds were minimal.
If you love natural history museums, definitely add this to your to-visit list in Paris.
This was a highlight of my trip to Lyon. A very well done museum with several temporary and permanent exhibits. My favourite was the taxidermy/tree of life/exciting animal exhibit. Notable things include the skeleton of a mammoth, massive whale, dinosaur, pterodactyl’s, dodo bird and elk. The temporary exhibit of the photographer Marc Riboud was very interesting showing some very real moments throughout history. Worth noting to spend more time in the permanent exhibits than the temporary ones to make sure you have enough time to see the important things.
Nice and small gallery. Full of surprises and great experiences. You don't need more than 2 hours to complete the visit (1 hour if you can read french). The only negative aspect I could find was the lack of English translations on the majority of the items displayed, otherwise a great experience.
Great educational experience for the kids, highly recommend to visit when in Paris with kids. Also not to crowded during the week
A museum that enables you to trace the evolution of man and the animal kingdom and their impact on our planet.
It is rich in information and specimens that can be discovered, and it left us speechless because of its beauty and the abundance of things that can be seen and discovered, fossils, dinosaur skeletons, and creatures that you would not believe lived millions of years ago on the planet.
I highly recommend this museum to those who want to discover and learn where we come from!
It is rich in information and specimens that can be discovered, and it left us speechless because of its beauty and the abundance of things that can be seen and discovered, fossils, dinosaur skeletons, and creatures that you would not believe lived millions of years ago on the planet.
I highly recommend this museum to those who want to discover and learn where we come from!
Visited in December 2023 There are temporary and permanent exhibitions. Some of the exhibits are interactive. I really liked "Africa, thousand lives of objects" (The life of 230 objects, from their design to their various uses) and "Secrets of there Earth" (Penetrate the depths of the Earth and discover the planet's mineral riches). In fact, to see all the exhibitions of the museum one should spend a day there.
Great for the kids, spend a couple hours here. A little dark and descriptions are all in french. The exhibits are entertaining.
We really loved our visit to this museum. It offers a wide variety of subjects and perspectives on the universe, our planet, humans and what unites us. I especially loved the temporary exposition about the discovery of the Antarctic (those visuals and sounds 😲). Also the permanent exposition on the birth of our universe was amazing. Special shout-out for adding the short documentary of Cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo... it's heartbreaking 💔
Oh dear, this really is poor. The first bit was very amateurish. You went through plastic curtains to pretend you were at sea. There were a few videos and large photos with long explanations in French. The next floor was closed (they gave me a discount due to this). The final floor was a random display of stuffed animals that reminded me of museums of the 1960s/1970s. The whole thing seemed based on the French 'discovery' of other countries. Travelling the world and bringing back animals to stuff them is a legacy of which people should be ashamed. It's not something to be proudly displayed. I think it took me 10 minutes to look round. Not worth the bother.
Quite an interesting museum, but I was expecting it to be bigger. All in all, it's just one big hall. You can see different minerals, unfortunately, mostly no labels/descriptions in English. Personally, I prefer the anthropology museum at Jardin des planted
LOVED this gallery! I'm a geology student and I had a great time here. Got in for free as a student. The exhibit was small but the mineral and rock samples they had were spectacular. The labels are in French, if you don't speak the language. Not busy at all when I went on a Wednesday.
Layout and museum prices aren’t clear! I paid 13 Euro per person including 5 years old.
It is amazing as a museum and as number of animals displayed but sadly there’s not enough translation and coverage isn’t the best inside to use translation. Good thing; there are places to leave jackets bags or buggy to walk around freely.
It is amazing as a museum and as number of animals displayed but sadly there’s not enough translation and coverage isn’t the best inside to use translation. Good thing; there are places to leave jackets bags or buggy to walk around freely.
Ein super tolles Museum. Allein das Gebáude ist absolut sehenswert. Leider gibt es im eingangsbereich nur 2 Toiletten und sehr weniger schliessfácher, die auch noch zur hälfte kaputt und somit nicht nutzbar sind. I'm ganzen Gebáude war nur 1 Aufzug in funktion,alle weiteren waren defekt. Daher 2 Sterne abzug.unbedingt vor ab Online Tickets besorgen.
It is a decent museum and not too expensive.
The stuffed animals are a hit or miss. Some are beautifully done, some have been subjected to the artist's interpretation. As it is a good collection, it would've been nice to see the animals more grouped in a diorama type style. Now it was missing cohesion and we were out within an hour.
Good value for money tho!!
The stuffed animals are a hit or miss. Some are beautifully done, some have been subjected to the artist's interpretation. As it is a good collection, it would've been nice to see the animals more grouped in a diorama type style. Now it was missing cohesion and we were out within an hour.
Good value for money tho!!
This museum was more interesting than I expected it to be. There are really big crystals and a great variety of smaller ones and lots of information on them, how they are formed etc. There’s also a section on meteorites. Not very big but definitely big enough. I went on a weekday and it wasn’t crowded. Information given was in french but worth visiting if you don’t speak French to look at the minerals and gems, some very rare.
Small free museum. Worth a visit to see some of the hilarious taxidermy attempts. Lots of stairs to enter and exit. Big variety of animals, insects and sea life.
It was a really hot day in paris so we spontaneously decided to cool down a bit inside the museum and it was a great idea… the kids enjoyed it a lot and we got to cool down from the heat wave…
A must visit if you like natural sciences and paleontology. Specially if you are travelling with kids, they will love it. It's situated in a beautiful garden which you can enter without tickets. From there you can go to different exhibitions and get their tickets at the entrance to their buildings, or simply enjoy the gardens which are beautiful on their own.
I love rocks and this museum had an excellent collection of rocks and minerals. All exhibits were in French, so bring your Google translate if you’re not fluent in french. Took one star off because it was a lot smaller than expected, but the quality of specimens and exhibits were excellent! No need to reserve a ticket ahead of time, as it’s not the most popular museum in Paris. Don’t miss it if you love rocks too :)
Ehrlich gesagt habe ich mir da mehr erwartet. Es ist eher was für Kinder. Nett angelegt. Aber es kann absolut nicht mit dem Naturhistorischen Museum in Wien mithalten . Die Sonderausstellung über die Katzen ist recht nett
Wonderful old provincial museum. Great to get lost among the 19th century taxidermy and some really wonderful antiquities in the history section. Closing next year, so see it while you can.
Located within a Jardin de plants in 5th arrondissement, Metro Jussieu 7 and 10.
The gallery displays a collection of crystals gemstones and minerals, amongst the best in the world. The collection began in 1625.
You won’t disappointed. Highly recommend.
The gallery displays a collection of crystals gemstones and minerals, amongst the best in the world. The collection began in 1625.
You won’t disappointed. Highly recommend.
Good temporary exhibit which was interactive and cheap entry prices.
Well it was a bit like pilgrimage for me as I hadn't been there for over 50 years. Nothing much has changed, the same stuffed animals are still there. I'm pretty sure I recognised some of them. They are some game activities for kids , just ask at the front desk. Rue Beauvoisine is interesting to visit for its numerous galleries.
I'm so happy I went here because all of the pieces are truly stunning. The variety is great and I was amazed by every single piece. There are raw stones, polished stones and artworks made of minerals/crystals, everything! It's also quite cheap and for me it was even free because I am under 26. I would definitely recommend this to everyone!
The collection of stones is magnificent. This museum is made up of several thematic spaces (their classification, the large stones, the colors, the shapes, the stones of meteorites, etc.) which present the most beautiful stones and their diversity. The presentation is of high quality with written explanations and videos. The classification of stones is presented. The geology and evolution of the earth is not presented. The museum is playful and we saw the smile of the children in front of the spectacle of these stones. It usually takes 1 hour to visit this museum. We took 2 hours. Excellent.
Weak point. They do not care about the diversity of their customers, that include foreigners, and would not contribute to France’s influence abroad: All is in French. I give a 4 instead of a 5 stars [I'm French]
Weak point. They do not care about the diversity of their customers, that include foreigners, and would not contribute to France’s influence abroad: All is in French. I give a 4 instead of a 5 stars [I'm French]
Don't expect too much. The museum is small and not much to see at all.
Super!! Empfehlung für Jung und Alt. Lift vorhanden. Kostenfreier Eintritt. Sehr viele Ausstellungsstücke (teilweise nicht auf English, aber nicht so schlimm). Freundliches Personal
Really small museum. Friendly staff.
Wirklich alles etwas wahllos zusammen geramscht, Eintritt ist kostenlos. So nah konnte ich noch nie an Altäre und Kirchenfenster heran!!!
Elke tentoonstelling die we er al gezien hebben is met heel veel aandacht gemaakt. Levende spinnen, originele opstellingen....goede educatie. Een klein smaragdje op de kroon van goud die Tours is.
I have been visiting this museum for a couple of years and it's always a pleasure to visit it with my son. There are often little new additions too which is great. Kids have activity packs during holidays and quizzes to complete. We visited again today and were welcomed by a lovely lady in reception this afternoon.
This place is modest in comparison to some other natural history museums. There are 4 floors of exhibits which friending on the she of you children shouldn't take more than an hour and a half. They have live reptiles as well as larger taxidermied mammals and even some insects and sea creatures. There is a small library as well with some large puzzles. The major lacking element is more interactive exhibits. Very little video or auditory experiences. My favorite was probably the live ants exhibit. Definitely worth a visit but it will not take up a whole day. Luckily it's right next to a walkable area with restaurants and shops to purchase lunch or coffee after our before as this place does close down for 2 hours everyday for lunch so plan ahead! Pricing for families is reasonable. Enjoy!
Nice museum, always an interesting exhibition, especially for kids
It is a good place to take kids, is easily accessible and a good option to go on a Saturday morning
For British visitors: this is a fantastic preserved and restored museum in the style of Tring Museum
Fun with the kids as a side thing to do in this lovely town.